Alive

In light of all
Darkest things
The fire glimmers
And the darkness sings

-Peace and Hate, The Submarines

February is a dark, cold month. It’s my least favorite month of the year. No flowers. No green grass. Just coldness. Darkness. Hibernation. How I wish I could just wrap myself under a blanket and hibernate until the sun wakes me up in Spring.

With no flowers and no leaves, it is easy to feel dead and empty. It’s a feeling that I’ve been fighting every winter since entering high school.

There are two ways, I’ve found, to cure feeling like this. And neither of these require a prescription.

1. Spin. Spin in a circle around your room until you can’t focus and the whole world is spinning along with you. Then collapse onto a couch or bed (or onto the floor) and just let the world move you. There’s something exciting about feeling as though you are twirling about even though you’re sitting still.

2. Scream. I get in my car and drive out to the depths of the country, and I scream. I scream in anger. I scream in joy. I scream to let out anything that’s been bottled up for whatever reason. I like knowing that deep within me there is something loud and impressive. Even though my windows are closed and there is no one around me, I feel powerful. Important, maybe.